The KRI is a 24-item self-report instrument designed to measure the presence of PTSD symptoms in children/adolescents exposed to hurricanes. It was specifically designed for use after community-wide disasters and many items make specific reference to the hurricane such as "having bad dreams about the hurricane." It yields a total score as well as scores on Reexperiencing, Avoidance, and Arousal.

Domain(s) Assessed :

Trauma Exposure/Reminders

Traumatic Stress

Language(s) :

English

Age Range:

6-15

Measure Type:

Screening

# of Items:

24

Measure Format:

Questionnaire

Average Time to Complete (min):

15

Reporter Type:

Self

Average Time to Score (min):

5

Response Format:

3-pt Likert scale: 0 = no, 1 = sometimes, 2 = almost all the time

Materials Needed:

Paper/Pencil

Information Provided:

Areas of Concern/Risks

Continuous Assessment

Raw Scores

Pros & Cons/References

Pros:

1. The measure is brief, which may make it useful for community-wide screenings following disasters.

2. Preliminary psychometrics are promising.

3. The measure taps PTSD symptomatology based on the DSM-IV PTSD criteria, and it is based on the Reaction Index, a widely used measure.

4. The items appear to be clearly written in language children will understand.

5. The measure is free.

Cons:

1. The measure appears to be under development. The authors recommend reducing the measure from 24 items to 19 items. If this is the case, psychometrics of the 19-item version will need to be examined.

2. Validity data, examining the relation of the KRI to other measures of PTSD or ASD symptomatology, and to a PTSD diagnosis, are not available.

3. Many items are written with specific reference to a hurricane. While this may be helpful, the measure will require minor changes for other types of disasters. In addition, questions that ask people for symptoms linked specifically to the hurricane may not be appropriate for individuals who have experienced multiple traumas and do not account for the possibility that symptoms may have arisen from secondary adversities (e.g., displacement and loss of home, violence following the hurricane), rather than directly from the hurricane.